Why MYSTERIES? Because that is the genre I read. Why PARADISE? Because that is where I live.
Among other things, this blog, the result of a 2008 New Year's resolution, will act as a record of books that I've read, and random thoughts.

11 January 2012

Best crime fiction reads for 2011 - titles mentioned once

I have been collecting lists of best crime fiction reads for 2011 for a couple of weeks now. You will see the majority of the links in my post here but they also came in as comments on posts and by emails. In the long run there were 35 contributors and 364 titles.

Note that they are a mixture of mysteries and thrillers, and also include titles that have been published pre-2011: some in fact would qualify as vintage publications.

11/22/63 by Stephen King
61 HOURS by Lee Child
A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE by Malla Nunn
A BRUTAL TELLING by Louise Penny
A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT by Jeanne Dams
A DEATH IN SUMMER by Benjamin Black
A DECLINE IN PROPHETS by Sulari Gentil
A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF by Lawrence Block
A GRAVEYARD TO LET by Carter Dickson
A RED HERRING WITHOUT MUSTARD by Alan Bradley
A SIMPLE ACT OF VIOLENCE by R.J. Ellory
A VINE IN THE BLOOD by Leighton Gage
A WILD SURGE OF GUILTY PASSION by Ron Hansen
ABSOLUTE ZERO COOL by Declan Burke
ALMOST BLUE by Carlo Lucarelli
AN AUTHOR BITES THE DUST by Arthur Upfield
AN UNCERTAIN PLACE by Fred Vargas
AWAKENING by S.J. Bolton
BACK OF BEYOND by C.J. Box
BACKLASH by Sally Spencer
BAD INTENTIONS by Karin Fossum
BEFORE THE POISON by Peter Robinson
BENT ROAD by Lori Roy
BETRAYAL OF TRUST by J.A. Jance
BLACK FLOWERS by Steve Mosby
BLOOD FALLS by Tom Bale
BLOOD HARVEST by S.J. Bolton
BLOODMONEY by David Ignatius
BLUE LIGHTNING by Ann Cleeves
BOX 21 by Roslund & Hellstrom
BREAKING SILENCE by Linda Castillo
BROKEN DREAMS by Nick Quantrill
BURIED PREY by John Sandford
BUTCHER'S MOON by Richard Stark
CAT SITTER AMONG THE PIGEONS by Blaize Clement
CAUGHT STEALING by Charlie Huston
CHRISTMAS IS MURDER by C.S. Challinor
COLD CRUEL WINTER by Chris Nickson
COLD KILL by Neil White
COLD RAIN by Craig Smith
COLD SHOT TO THE HEART by Wallace Stroby
COP HATER by Ed McBain
CORDIALLY INVITED TO MEET DEATH by Rex Stout
CRIMES IN SOUTHERN INDIANA by Frank Bill
CUCKOO by Julia Crouch
DAED END by Leigh Russell
DANCERS IN THE MORNING by Margery Allingham
DANNY GILVER AND THE PROPER TREATMENT OF BLOODSTAINS by Catriona McPherson
DEAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli
DEAD MONEY by Ray Banks
DEATH AND THE SPANISH LADY by Carolyn Morwood
DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY by P.D. James
DEATH IN KASHMIR by M.M. Kaye
DEATH IN THE GARDEN by Elizabeth Ironside
DEATH MASK by Kathryn Fox
DEATH OF THE MANTIS by Michael Stanley
DEATH ON THE MARAIS by Adrian Magson
DIAMOND DOVE (aka MOONLIGHT DOWNS) by Adrian Hyland
DJIBOUTI by Elmore Leonard
DOUBLE DEXTER by Jeff Lindsay
DUMB WITNESS by Agatha Christie
ECHOES FROM THE DEAD by Johan Theorin
ECHOES OF THE DEAD by Sally Spencer
ENDANGERED by Pamela Beason
EXCURSION TO TINDARI by Andrea Camilleri
EXIT LINES by Reginald Hill
EYES WIDE OPEN by Andrew Gross
FAITHFUL PLACE by Tana French
FALLING GLASS by Adrian McKinty
FEAR NOT by Ann Holt
FEAST DAY OF FOOLS by James Lee Burke
FIFTH VICTIM by Zoe Sharp
FIFTH WITNESS by Michael Connelly
FUN & GAMES by Duane Swierczynski
GAUDY NIGHT by Dorothy L. Sayers
GENTLY DOES IT by Alan Hunter
GUILT BY ASSOCIATION by Marcia Clark
HALF BLOOD BLUES by Esi Edugyan
HARBOUR by John Ajvide Lindqvist
HEARTSTONE by C.J. Sansom
HEAT RISES by Richard Castle
HELL & GONE by Duane Swierczynski
HELL IS EMPTY by Craig Johnson
HELL IS EMPTY by Craig Johnson
HERCULE POIROT'S CHRISTMAS by Agatha Christie
HIDDEN DEPTHS by Ann Cleeves
HUNTED by Emlyn Rees
HYPOTHERMIA by Arnaldur Indridason
ICELIGHT by Aly Monroe
IN A DRY SEASON by Peter Robinson
INDIA BLACK & THE WIDOW OF WINDSOR by Carol K. Carr
INK FLAMINGOS by Karen E. Olsen
INTIMATE KILL by Margaret Yorke
INTO THE DARKEST CORNER by Elizabeth Haines
IRON HOUSE by John Hart
IRON HOUSE by John Hart
KILLED AT THE WHIM OF A HAT by Colin Cotterill
KISS ME QUICK by Danny Miller
LASTING DAMAGE by Sophie Hanna
LIVEWIRE by Harlen Coben
LOVE YOU MORE by Lisa Gardner
LUCIFER'S TEARS by James Thompson
MANIFESTO OF THE DEAD by Domenic Stansberry
MISTRESS OF THE ART OF DEATH by Ariana Franklin
MIXED BLOOD by Roger Smith
MURDER IN PASSY by Cara Black
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS by Agatha Christie
NEMESIS by Jo Nesbo
NEVER KNOWING by Chevy Steevens
NEW YORK TO DALLAS by J.D. Robb
NEXT OF KIN by David Hosp
NINE MAN'S MURDER by Eric Keith
NOCTURNAL TARGET by Ricardo Piglia
NOW YOU SEE HER by James Patterson
OLD CITY HALL by Robert Rotenberg
ONE TRUE SENTENCE by Craig MacDonald
OUTRAGE by Arnaldur Indridason
PANDEMONIUM by Chris Brookmyre
PICTURE HER DEAD by Lin Anderson
POTSDAM STATION by David Downing
PRAY FOR SILENCE by Linda Castillo
RAVEN BLACK by Ann Cleeves
RED JADE by Henry Chang
RED ON RED by Edward Conlon
REVENGER by Rory Clements
RIZZO'S FIRE by Lou Manfredo
ROSEANNA by Maj Sjowal & Per Wahloo
SECRET DEAD MEN by Duane Swierczynski
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CASE OF SABINA HALL by L.B. Greenwood
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SHAKESPEARE LETTER by Barry Grant
SHOCKWAVE by John Sandford
SHROUD OF DARKNESS by E.C.R. Lorac
SHUT YOUR EYES TIGHT by John Verdon
SISTER by Rosamund Lupton
SMOKIN' SEVENTEEN by Janet Evanovich
SO MUCH PRETTY by Cara Hoffmann
SOMEONE ELSE'S SON by Sam Hayes
SPYCATCHER by Matthew Dunn
STOLEN LIVES by Jassy Mackenzie
SWORN TO SILENCE by Linda Castillo
TAHOE HIJACK by Todd Borg
TEMPORARY PERFECTIONS by Gianrico Carofiglio
TEN LITTLE HERRINGS by L.C. Tyler
THE ADJUSTMENT by Scott Phillips
THE AFFAIR OF THE MUTILATED MINK by James Anderson
THE ART OF DROWNING by Frances Fyfield
THE BOUNDARY by Nicole Watson
THE BRUTAL TELLING by Louise Penny
THE BURNING by Jane Casey
THE BURNING WIRE by Jeffery Deaver
THE CALLING by Inge Ash Wolfe
THE CASE OF THE LAME CANARY by Erle Stanley Gardner
THE CHALK CIRCLE MAN by Fred Vargas
THE CHINESE ORNAGE MYSTERY by Ellery Queen
THE COMPLAINTS by Ian Rankin
THE COURIER'S NEW BICYCLE by Kim Westwood
THE CROSSING PLACES by Elly Griffiths
THE CYPRESS HOUSE by Michael Koryta
THE DARK SIDE by Belinda Bauer
THE DARKEST ROOM by Johan Theorin
THE DEAD OF WINTER by Jane Adams
THE DEPUTY by Victor Gischler
THE DIME MUSEUM MURDERS by Daniel Stashower
THE DOG WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Spencer Quinn
THE DONOR by Helen FitzGerald
THE DOORBELL RANG by Rex Stout
THE DROP by Michael Connelly
THE DYING TRADE by Peter Corris
THE FATAL TOUCH by Conor Fitzgerald
THE GARDEN OF BETRAYAL by Lee Vance
THE GENTLEMEN’S HOUR by Don Winslow
THE GIRL IN THE GREEN RAINCOAT by Laura Lippman
THE GOOD DAUGHTER by Honey Brown
THE HANGING WOOD by Martin Edwards
THE HOLY THIEF by William Ryan
THE ICE PRINCESS by Camilla Lackberg
THE INFORMANT by Thomas Perry
THE INFORMANT by Thomas Perry
THE JANUS STONE by Elly Griffiths
THE JANUS STONE by Elly Griffiths
THE KILLER IS DYING by James Sallis
THE KILLER IS DYING by James Sallis
THE KING OF DIAMONDS by Simon Tolkien
THE LANTERN by Deborah Lawrenson
THE LEAVENWORTH CASE by Anna Katherine Green
THE LOCKED ROOM by Maj Sjowal & Per Wahloo
THE LOST SISTER by Russel McLean
THE MAGIC BULLET by Larry Millett
THE MAN ON THE BALCONY by Maj Sjowal & Per Wahloo
THE MAN WHO WENT UP IN SMOKE by Maj Sjowal & Per Wahloo
THE MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF JANE AUSTEN by Lindsay Ashford
THE NIGHT STRANGERS by Chris Bohjalian
THE ONE FROM THE OTHER by Philip Kerr
THE PERFECT SUSPECT by Margaret Cole
THE PURSUED by C.S. Forester
THE RANGER by Ace Atkins
THE RETRIBUTION by Val McDermid
THE RETURN by Hakan Nesser
THE ROCK HOLE by Reavis Z. Wortham
THE RULE BOOK by Rob Kitchin
THE SECOND CONFESSION by Rex Stout
THE SHORTEST WAY TO HADES by Sarah Caudwell
THE SILENT GIRL by Tess Gerritsen
THE SILENT WORLD OF NICHOLAS QUINN by Colin Dexter
THE STABBING IN THE STABLES by Simon Brett
THE STONE CUTTER by Camilla Lackberg
THE STRANGER YOU SEEK by Amanda Kyle Williams
THE SUMMONER by Layton Green
THE TRINITY SIX by Charles Cumming
THE UNLUCKY LOTTERY by Hakan Nesser
THE VAULT by Ruth Rendell
THE VAULT by Roslund & Hellstrom
THE WOODCUTTER by Reginald Hill
THESE HIDDEN THINGS by Heather Gudenkauf
THINK OF A NUMBER by John Verdon
THREE SECONDS by Roslund & Hellstrom
TRACKERS by Deon Meyer
TRACKERS by Deon Meyer
TWO FOR SORROW by Nicola Upson
V is for VENGEANCE by Sue Grafton
VIOLENT EXPOSURE by Katherine Howell
VOICES by Arnaldur Indridason
WATCH OUT FOR ME by Sylvia Johnson
WATER-BLUE EYES by Domingo Vilar
WHAT ALICE KNEW: A MOST CURIOUS TALE ABOUT HENRY JAMES AND JACK THE RIPPER by Paula Morantz Cohen
WHAT WAS LOST by Catherine O'Flynn
WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED by Chris Brookmyre
WHITE DOG by Peter Temple
WICKED AUTUMN by G.M. Malliet
WINTERLAND by Alan Glynn
WRITTEN IN BONE by Simon Beckett
WYATT by Garry Disher
WYCLIFFE AND THE LAST RITES by W.J. Burley